Five Things We Learned from the Ravens' 41-7 loss to the New England Patriots

Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun

There's no positive spin to put on this game, even if the 41-7 score was misleading because of sloppy play after the result was decided. Joe Flacco looked wobbly on his injured knee, and the Ravens made far too many mistakes all over the field against a Patriots team that made few. On the other hand, the loss does very little to change the Ravens' mission Sunday in Cincinnati. One way or another, they would have gone there craving a win against a team they know very well. Sure, they'll be playing for an uncertain wild-card berth rather than the AFC North title. Just don't expect the Ravens to dwell on that difference. I've said it all season, this is a mentally strong team led by a mentally strong coach. They don't give in, regardless of how circumstances change around them. They treat each game as a discrete problem rather than getting swept away in the emotions of winning and losing streaks. That's why they're still in contention despite myriad flaws they haven't entirely fixed. The Ravens won't have the luxury of playing Bengals team with no incentive to win. A Bengals victory and Patriots loss next weekend would give Cincinnati a first-round bye, because the Bengals hold the tie-breaker over New England. The Ravens will try to become the first team all season to win in Cincinnati, where Andy Dalton is a more efficient quarterback than the guy they abused in Baltimore. It's a daunting challenge. But I'll be surprised if the Ravens shrink from it simply because they played a dud this week.

No one in Baltimore should ever question Flacco's determination. From the moment he took a helmet to the left knee Monday night, we all assumed he'd play against the Patriots. And of course, he did. It's one of his best qualities, really. No matter the conditions, no matter how brutal the punishment, Flacco keeps firing week after week, season after season. That said, he looked terribly uncomfortable in the first half against the Patriots. He couldn't plant to throw with his usual oomph and couldn't escape when the Patriots closed on him. His difficulties gave Tom Brady and the Patriots all the window they needed to take a commanding lead. The Ravens lost a potential touchdown on their first possession when Flacco threw well short of a streaking Torrey Smith. On the next possession, he threw an interception because he couldn't loft the ball over a Patriots linebacker to an open Jacoby Jones. It's hard to know how much to blame the injury. This wasn't the first game in which Flacco had underthrown open receivers downfield. But his left leg, wrapped in a bulky brace, appeared stiff when he planted to throw. On the third possession, he fell down while moving in open space. In part because of Flacco's physical difficulties, the Ravens offense didn't take a snap in Patriots territory until the second half. None of this is meant as a criticism of the team's franchise player. He did what he could, even throwing noticeably better as the Ravens tried to rally late. But this time, his toughness wasn't enough to overcome basic physical reality. It has to be a concern going into next week, with the Ravens facing a do-or-die game.